Meeting of the NSERC Design Chairs

Robert L. Papineau, Director General

January 19, 2004

Presentation overview

• Introducing École Polytechnique

• The importance of design in engineering

Polytechnique

• School affiliated with the Université de Montréal

• Has its own Board of Governors

• École Polytechnique, Université de Montréal and HEC Montréal combined form the second-largest university complex in Canada

Some statistics

• 5,548 students (fall 2003) - 3,634 undergraduates - 428 students in continuing education - 1,483 masters and doctoral students

• 900 graduates per year

• 220 professors

• 800 employees

• $75M operating budget

• $32M in research funds

• $107M infrastructure fund (CFI) (to date)

• 130-year history

• Total of 20,000 graduates

Engineering programs

• Civil

• Chemical

• Electrical

• Geological

• Industrial

• Computer

• Software

• Mechanical

• Mining

• Physics

• Materials

Research

• $32M in research funds

• 33 CFI/MEQ projects totalling $107M

(to date)

• 17 industrial chairs

• 24 Canada Research Chairs, 17 of

which have been attributed to date

• 10 strategic FQRNT professor-

researchers

Research

• Développement, intégration et évaluation des technologies de formation et d’apprentissage (DIVA) [development, integration and evaluation of training and learning technologies]

• Centre interuniversitaire de référence sur l’analyse, l’interprétation et la gestion du cycle de vie des produits, procédés et services (CIRAIG) [interuniversity reference centre for the life-cycle assessment, interpretation and management of products, processes and services]

• Nano-Québec

• PROMPT-Québec (wireless communications and photonics)

• Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ), etc.

Direction or involvement in major Valorisation-Recherche Québec projects

Seven major development areas for Polytechnique

• Multimedia, computer sciences and telecommunications

• Biomedical sciences and engineering

• Advanced materials, nanosciences and nanotechnologies

• Environment, sustainable development and business strategies

• High-end technology for the manufacturing and aerospace industries

• Education technologies for the sciences and engineering

• Science and systems engineering

Univalor

• 10 active spin-off companies

• 21 technology transfers and licensing in effect

• $175M invested in private spin-off companies since 1998

• 250 jobs created in the high-tech industry in the Montréal region

• Approximately $1.5M worth of research contracts granted annually to Polytechnique by its spin-off companies

Mission: to market the results of research conducted by École Polytechnique, HEC Montréal, Université de Montréal and affiliated teaching hospitals

Polyvalor

• BioSyntech Inc.

• Cardianove Inc.

• LTRIM Technologies Inc.

• Polyplan Technologies Inc.

• Phytobiotech Inc.

• Odotech Inc.

• Nova Plasma Inc.

• Cerestech Inc.

• Sign@metric Inc.

Active spin-off companies

Student life

Technical aspect • Race car (SAE formula)

• SAE Avion-Cargo

• Solar Vehicle (Esteban)

• All-terrain vehicle (SAE Mini-Baja)

• Human-powered submarine (Archimède)

• Walking and roller robots (SAE Robotics)

• Soccer-playing robots (Robofoot Group)

Cultural and international aspect• Polytechnique Engineers Without Borders

• Comité international de projets outre-mer (CIPO)

• Poly-Théâtre, Poly-Party, Poly-Rad, Poly-Show, Poly-Photo, etc.

Polytechnique is expanding quickly

Expansion: lecture halls, computerized teaching laboratories, library, IT department, electrical and computer engineering departments

Pierre-Lassonde

and Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde Buildings

Polytechnique is expanding quickly

Interdisciplinary research: nanotechnology, biotechnology, aeronautics, aerospace and new materialsProject carried out in conjunction with Université de Montréal

J.-A.-Bombardier Building

A research laboratory focusing on the structural behaviour of major civil engineering structures

Hydro-Québec structural research laboratory

Polytechnique is expanding quickly

Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Center (AMTC)

National Research Council of Canada laboratory

Polytechnique is expanding quickly

A promising future